IOWA CITY, Ia. — There were still some uncharacteristic miscues early — but once the Regina offense fully warmed up late in the first half, it stayed humming until the final whistle.

Entering Friday’s district opener versus Wapello, the Regals had mustered just six points in eight quarters. Against two quality foes, yes, but the offense needed to find some stability.

It did.

The Regals pumped in four first-half touchdowns and tacked four more after intermission, propelling Regina to a 56-7 rout over the Indians at Regina High School. The win gets Marv Cook’s squad on the board in 2017, after the Regals got off to their first 0-2 start since 2002.

“We were all definitely waiting all week after the two tough games,” quarterback Michael Conlon said, “just to come out and play at that same high level and try to really make a statement.”

Monumental plays were in abundance, particularly after Wapello closed within a touchdown — 14-7 — midway through the second quarter. Conlon followed with his second rushing TD of the night, then hit freshman Alec Wick for a 43-yard score two minutes later to give Regina a 28-7 advantage late in the first half.

"Those are all great things that we needed to see," Cook said, "and that's kind of where we separated a little bit. We had a lot of guys make plays."

The onslaught continued after intermission, as Regina initiated a running clock on Isaac Vollstedt’s 25-yard touchdown reception. That handed the Regals a 42-7 lead. Conlon accounted for five TDs in all — three passing, two rushing — and racked up 344 total yards.

The game, though, ended on a sour note. Regina’s Scott Arendt was carted off on a stretcher in the game’s final minutes after lying face-down on the grass for quite some time. When play resumed, Wapello simply ended the game by taking a knee.

Cook said postgame that the hospital visit is likely precautionary.

“We’ve got great medical people, and we’re going to defer to them,” he added. “I think a lot of it was just precautionary — hopefully, it’s precautionary. They’re doing the right things, going through the right steps. He had some pain in his lower neck, and you’ve got to do the right thing. Thank God Wapello’s trainer was right on the spot and stabilized him, and then our staff came in. It was an impressive operation to watch. You hate to see it. It’s terrible, but I really liked the professionalism that everybody showed. I’m glad knowing he’s in great hands right now.”

Dargan Southard covers preps, recruiting, Iowa and UNI athletics for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.